Wrench having pivotal jaws selectively spring-biased to closed and open positions



Nov. 255, 1957 2,814,225

' M. MANN WRENCH HAVING PIVOTAL JAWS SELECTIVELY SPRING-BIASED T0 CLOSED- AND OPEN POSITIONS Filed Feb. 15. 1956 IN VEN TOR.

rlivork -Mazzm Mai w United States Patent WRENCH HAVING PIVOTAL JAWS SELECTIVELY ggglfiG-EIASED T0 CLOSED AND OPEN POSI- Morley Mann, Lombard, Ill.

Application February 15, 1956, Serial No. 565,623

7 Claims. (Cl. 81-91) The present invention relates to a novel wrench, and, more particularly, to a novel box-type wrench having complementary jaw elements adapted to be shifted to and from opened and closed positions.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel wrench having complementary relatively shiftable jaws adapted to be applied to a nut member or the like from the side thereof so as substantially to encircle the nut member, which wrench may be easily applied to or removed from the nut member by manipulating a handle thereof so as to open and close the jaws.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel wrench of the above described type which is constructed so that the jaws, upon being opened a predetermined amount, will be automatically retained in an opened position so as to permit easy application of the jaws to or removal of the jaws from a nut member.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel wrench of the above described type which is constructed so that the jaws may be opened sufi'iciently to be applied to a nut member from a side thereof whereupon the jaws will close automatically about the nut member or, alternatively, the jaws may be opened a greater amount and automatically retained in the fully opened condition.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel ratchet wrench of the above described type which is of relatively simple and economical construction.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a wrench embodying the principles of this invention applied to a nut-like portion of a fitting connected between lengths of tubing;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view showing the various elements of the wrench of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a view partially in cross section showing the wrench fully applied to a nut-like member;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but shows how the wrench may be either applied to or removed from the nutlike member with the jaws of the wrench in substantially fully opened condition;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the jaws in a fully opened condition; and

Fig. 6 is a view showing the manner in which the wrench may be applied to a nut-like member by only opening the jaws sufliciently to accommodate the nut-like member whereupon the jaws will close automatically.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a wrench 10 incorporating the features of the present invention is provided with a handle member12 which is preferably formed from sheet metal and includes a pair of spaced parallel side portions 14 and 16 which are integrally joined by an edge or bight ice portion 18. A hook-like jaw element 20 is pivotally connected to the handle member by a pin 22 extending through the side portions 14 and 16 and located in the side portions adjacent the edge or bight portion 18. The edge portion 18 is relieved as at 24 to permit the jaw member 20 to pivot in the manner described below. A complementary jaw member 26 is pivotally connected to extensions 28 and 30 of the handle side portions by a pin 32.

The jaw members 20 and 26 respectively include outer end portions 34 and 36 having complementary semicircular notched inner edges 38 and 40 adapted to encircle and engage a nut member when the jaws are closed. The jaw member 20 includes a shank portion 42 having an aperture 44 therein for receiving the pivot pin 22, which aperture is spaced from a free end 46 of the shank portion and is located toward an outer edge of the shank portion so that it is substantially spaced from an inner edge or cam surface 48 of the shank portion. The jaw member 26 is also provided with a shank portion 50 which is substantially axially coextensive with the shank portion 42 of the jaw member 20 and which is provided with an aperture 52 for receiving the pivot pin 32. The aperture 52 is located toward an outer edge of the shank portion 50 so that it is substantially spaced from an inner edge or cam surface 54 of the shank portion and also adjacent the end portion 36 of the jaw member and away from a free end 56 of the jaw member 26. In order yieldably to retain the jaw members in either closed or opened positions in the manner described in detail below, a single spring 58 is provided, which spring has a looped intermediate portion 60, an arm portion 62 connected with the shank 42 of the jaw member 20 and an arm portion 64 connected with the shank of the jaw member 26. More specifically, the spring arm 62 terminates in a laterally extending end 66 which projects into an aperture 68 in the shank portion 42, and the spring arm 64 terminates in a laterally extending end 70 which extends into an aperture 72 in the shank portion 50. It should be noted that the spring anchor point or aperture 68 is located adjacent the inner edge 48 of the shank portion 42 and also closer to the end 46 of the shank portion than the pivot aperture 44. The other spring anchor point or aperture 72 is preferably located adjacent and slightly inwardly of the pivot aperture 52 so that it is substantially on a line including the pivot point of both jaw members, which line it will be noted extends diagonally of the longitudinal axis of the wrench. The jaw member shank portions 42 and 50 are respectively relieved as at 74 and 76 to accommodate the wire spring.

The spring arms 62 and 64 and the con-necting loop 60 are initially so tensioned that when the elements of the wrench are assembled and the jaws are closed as shown in Fig. 3, the spring arrrrs, though having sprung to their maximum-gap positions, are still slightly flexed. As a result of the above-described locations of the spring-connecting points or apertures 68 and 72, the spring yieldably biases the jaw member 20 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 when the jaw members are closed or partially closed so as yieldably to retain the jaw members in the closed condition. When the jaw members are closed, the wrench may be easily applied to a nut member or fitting 78 between tubes 80 and 82 in the man ner shown in Fig. 6. More specifically, it is merely necessary for an operator to hold the wrench with one hand and .press the frontal portion of the jaw member 20 against a side of the nut member. This causes the jaw member 20 to pivot rearwardly to open, and complementary pivotal movement of the jaw member 26 is obtained by engagement of the inner edge or cam edge 43 with the 4 edge 54. The jaws need be openedrin this manner only until they are spaced a distance equal to the outside dimensions of the nut member as shown in Fig. 6 whereupon the wrench is shifted toward the nut member so that the jaw 20 passes over the nut member, and the spring automatically returns the jaws to their closed positions. It will be appreciated that the spring yieldably retains the jaws in the closed position so that the wrench is operable to turn the nut member when the wrench is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l and so that the jaws open sufliciently to slide with respect to the nut member when the wrench is turned in a counterclockwise direction.

In order to remove the wrench from the nut member as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, it is merely necessary for the operator to pull outwardly on the wrench and push downwardly so that the jaw 20 is pivoted toward its fully opened position and complementary movement of the jaw 26 is obtained. In Fig. 4 the jaws are shown partially opened, and it should be noted that the arms of the spring have been substantially compressed toward each other and that the spring connecting point or aperture 68 has been shifted to a location adjacent a line extending through the pivot pins 22 and 32 from its original position spaced substantially from this line toward the outer end of the handle. When the jaws are in the position shown in Fig. 4, the spring will still function to close the jaws automatically. However, upon further movement of the jaw member 20 toward its fully opened position so that the spring connecting point or aperture 6-8 crosses the common center line of the pivot pins 22 and 32, the spring functions automatically to shift the jaw members to their fully opened positions and to yieldably retain the jaw members in such positions. With the jaw mem bers yieldably locked in their opened positions, the wrench can, of course, be readily removed from the nut mem her and subsequently reapplied to the nut member. When applying the wrench to a nut member with its jaws in their opened positions, it is merely necessary for an operator to hook the jaw 20 around the nut member and then pull outwardly and upwardly on the handle to cause the jaw member 20 to pivot toward its closed position. When the jaw member 20 has been closed sufficiently so that the spring connecting point 68 crosses back over the common center line of the pivot pins, the spring again functions automatically to close the jaws.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may be changed without dc parting from the meaning and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A wrench comprising an elongated handle member, a pair of complementary jaw members cooperable substantially to encircle a nut or the like and pivotally connected to said handle member at spaced points, and spring means having opposite ends respectively engaging said jaw members for selectively yieldably biasing said jaw members toward closed positions and yieldably biasing said jaw members toward opened positions.

2. A wrench comprising an elongated handle member, first and second complementary jaw members cooperable substantially to encircle a nut or the like and respectively pivotally connected to said handle member at first and second points offset from each other axially of the handle and respectively located toward opposite longitudinal margins of the handle, and spring means having one end thereof connected with said first jaw member at a point located at one side of a line containing said pivot points and spaced from said first pivot point and an opposite end connected to said second jaw member for selectively yield ably biasing said jaw members toward closed positions and yieldably biasing said jaw members toward opened positions.

3, A wrench comprising an elongated handle member, a first hook-like jaw member having a shank portion connected to said handle member at a point at one side of a longitudinal axis of the handle member, a second jaw member complementary to said first jaw member for substantially enclosing a workpiece and pivotally connected to said handle member at a point at an opposite side of said axis and offset longitudinally of said axis from said first pivot point, and spring means having opposite ends respectively engaging said first and second jaw members for selectively yieldably biasing said jaw members toward closed positions and yieldably biasing said jaw members toward opened positions.

4. A wrench comprising an elongated handle member, a first hook-like jaw member having a shank portion pivotally connected to said handle member at a point at one side of a longitudinal axis of the handle member, a second jaw member complementary to said first jaw member for substantially enclosing a workpiece and pivotally connected to said handle member at a point at an opposite side of said axis and offset longitudinally of said axis from said first pivot point, and a spring element having one end connected to said shank portion at a point substantially spaced inwardly from said first pivot point and spaced substantially from a line containing said pivot points, said spring element having an opposite end connected to said second jaw member adjacent said second pivot point, said spring element selectively yieldably biasing said jaw members toward closed positions and yieldably biasing said jaw members toward opened positions.

5. A wrench comprising an elongated handle member, a first hook-like jaw member having a shank portion pivotally connected to said handle member at a point at one side of a longitudinal axis of the handle member and adjacent one end of the handle member, said handle member including extension means projecting longitudinally of said axis outwardly of said pivot point, a second jaw member complementary to said first jaw member for substantially enclosing a workpiece and having a shank portion pivotally connected to said handle member extension means at a point at an opposite side of said axis and offset longitudinally of said axis from said first pivot point, and a wire spring element having first and second arm portions respectively connected with said first and second shank portions for selectively yieldably biasing said jaw members toward closed positions and yieldably biasing said jaw members toward opened positions, said first arm portion being connected to said first shank portion at a point substantially spaced inwardly from said first pivot point and spaced substantially from one side of a line containing said pivot points, and said second arm being connected to said second shank portion at a point adjacent said second pivot point and said line.

6. A box-like wrench comprising an elongated handle member, a pair of complementary jaw members cooperable when in closed positions to provide a workpiece receiving opening having a predetermined diameter, means pivotally connectingsaid jaw members at spaced points to said handle member for movement to and from fully closed and fully opened positions, and spring means connected with said jaw members for yieldably biasing said jaw members toward their closed positions when said jaw members are at least partially closed so that the distance therebetween is not substantially in excess of said predetermined diameter and for yieldably biasing said jaw members toward the fully opened positions whenever the distance between the jaw members is substantially in excess of said predetermined diameter.

7. A box-type ratchet wrench comprising an elongated sheet material handle member having spaced side portions integrally joined along adjacent longitudinal margins thereof by a bight portion, a first hook-like jaw member having a shank portion extending between said side portions and adjacent said bight portion, pin means pivotally connecting said shank portion to said side portions adjacent said longitudinal margins thereof, a second complementary jaw member having a'shank portion extending between said side portions, pin means pivotally lectively yieldably biasing said jaw members toward closed connecting said second jaw member shank portion to said positions and yieldably biasing said jaw members toward side portions at a point adjacent opposite longitudinal opened positions.

margins thereof and offset from said first pivot point longitudinally of said handle member and toward outer ends 5 References Cited in the file of this Patent of said jaw members, and a spring element having a first UNITED STATES PATENTS end connected with said first-mentioned shank portion adjacent an inner edge and inner end thereof and a sec- 2684607 Lundeu July 1954 end end connected with said second-mentioned shank por- 2708384 Mann May 1955 tion adjacent said second-mentioned pivot point for se- 10 

